Combined wheeled toy and exercising device



1m 3, 1941. J. A. DANN 52,244,447

COMBINED WHEELED TOY AND EXERCISING DEVICE Filed' Feb. 5, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 3, 1941.. J. A. DAMN 2,244,447

COMBINED WHEELED TOY AND EXERCISING DEVICE Filed Feb. 3, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 3, 1941 COMBINED WHEELED TOY AND EXERCISING DEVICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to toys and more particularly to a combined wheeled toy and exercising device.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive toy of the class described which may be easily propelled by a small child and which will serve to strengthen and build up the body muscles and at the same time provide a source of amusement for the child.

A further object of the invention is to provide a figure toy constructed in simulation of a horse or other animal, said figure being pivotally mounted on a wheeled supporting frame and having a spring or springs operatively connected therewith so that, when a child straddles the horse in the act of riding the animal and pulls rearwardly on the animals head, the springs will tend to resist such rearward movement and thus provide a source of physical exercise and body exertion conducive to good health.

A further object is to provide a toy that will appeal to children and which can be propelled in any direction and also used for coasting.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efficiency as well as to reduce the cost of manufacture.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a toy embodying the present invention,

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the position of the parts when a rearward pull is exerted on the head of the animal.

Figure 3 is a top plan View,

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a detail side elevation, partly in section, showing the construction of the tail of the figure,

Figure 6 is a detail vertical sectional view through the front bolster of the wheeled frame showing the construction of the pivot of said bolster, and

Figure '7 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 3.

The improved toy forming the subject-matter of the present invention comprises a supporting frame 5 consisting of spaced longitudinally disposed angle bars 6 mounted on front and rear bolsters l and 8. The lower faces of the bolsters are cut away to form depending blocks 9 to which are rigidly secured by staples or similar fastening devices Ill stationary rods or shafts ll carrying wheels l2 so as to permit the toy to roll on the ground or other surface.

Pivotally mounted on the supporting frame 5 is a figure constructed in simulation of a horse and preferably formed in three sections I3, Hi and I5, the front and rear sections I3 and I5 being extended downwardly between the parallel bars 6 and pivotally connected therewith by bolts or similar fastening devices I6 so as to permit rocking movement of said figure on the supporting frame. The upper portions of the sections comprising the figure of the horse are connected by oppositely disposed longitudinal angle bars H, the front and rear sections being pivotally connected to the bars IT, as indicated at l8, and the intermediate section It being rigidly secured thereto by pins or bolts I9. Pivotally mounted between the rear ends of the bars ll, as indicated at 20, is a tail portion 2| and fastened to the pivoted end of said tail portion is one end of a flexible strap 22, the other end of which is secured to the'rear pivoted section l5 so that, when said section is tilted rearwardly on its pivot 16, the tail member 2| will be elevated and when said section is returned to normal position, the tail section will be lowered.

Mounted on the intermediate section I4 is a seat Z3'secured to the angle bars I! by a bolt 24 extending between said angle bars and engaging a clamping plate 25, as best shown in Figure 4 of the drawings. The rear ends of the angle bars 6 are provided with transversely alined slots 26 in which is seated an anchoring plate?! having a stud 28 projecting therefrom and over which is fitted one end of a. coiled spring 29, the other end of the spring being secured in any suitable manner to the rear section IS. The anchoring plate is secured in position by means of bolts 30 which extend through the rear bolster B for engagement with clamping nuts. The supporting frame is reinforced and strengthened by the provision of curved braces 3!, the forward ends of which are secured to the angle bars 6 while their rear ends are fastened in any suitable manner to the rear bolster 8. The front bolster l is pivotally mounted on the supporting frame to permit guiding of the toy.

The bolster l is provided with oppositely disposed foot rests 32 and secured to the bolster between said foot rests is a wear plate 33 which coacts with a stationary plate 34 secured to the adjacent ends of the angle bars 6, said plates constituting, in effect, a fifth wheel to facilitate guiding of the toy, as previously stated. The

In operation, the child straddles the seat 23-,

with the feet bearing against the foot rests 32 and the hands grasping the handle bars 38; By" now exerting a rearward pull on the handle bars 38 the several sections comprising the figure will be moved rearwardly against the tension of the spring 29. rearward movement, the child must exert more or less muscular effort to overcome the tension of the spring and this exertion provides the child with sufficient physical exercise-and body exertion to promotegood health while atthesame time providing asource of amusement or entertainment for said child. Assoon as the rearward pressure on the handle bars 38is released, the spring will force the sectionsb'ack tonormal position and-this reciprocation of the body sections is effected every time thechild presses rear- Wardly on thehandle bars, thus causing the pivoted'sections to simulate'the movements of a bucking horse, as will be readily understood. During the pivotal movements of the figure sections, the tail portion 2| will be raised and lowered so as to impart an animated appearance to the figure. By pressinglaterally on either foot rest 32; the bodygmomentum will force the toy forward and backward or-to either side withoutisteppingoff the toy. Furthermore, the toy can; be used for coastingdowninclined surfaces by supporting the feet on the rests 32-and guiding the'toy by lateral pressure on said foot'rests.

The device'is extremely simple in construction and. not only provides a' source of amusement and entertainment for small-children but also furnishes the child with body exercise necessary to build upthe muscles and maintain the body in ahealthy state.v

It will, of course, be understood that the toys may be made' indifferent sizes and' shapes and constructed of any suitable material without departing from thespirit of the invention.

Having'thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A device of the class described comprising a wheeled frame, a figure mountedon the frame and comprising, end and intermediate sections, the. lower ends of the end sections being pivotally mounted on the frame, spaced horizontal bars rigidly secured to the opposite sides ofthe intermediate section and pivotallyconnected with the endsections for rearward-movement therewith in spaced parallelrelation' to the frame, a tail section pivotally mountedcbetween the rear ends of saidhorizontal'bars, a strap 'having one end thereof secured to the tail section and its other end.secured to the adjacent pivoted section, and a spring,operatively connected with the frame and bearing against the adjacent pivoted section As the spring tends to resist such for. normally holding all of said sections in 70 extended position.

2. A device of the class described comprising a frame including spaced parallel bars, front and rear bolsters connected with the bars, wheels mounted on the bolsters, a figure carried by the frame and comprising end and intermediate sections, the lower ends of the end sections being pivotally mounted between the parallel bars of the frame, spaced horizontal'bars rigidly secured to the opposite sides of the intermediate section and pivotally connected with the end sections for rearward movement in parallel relation to the bars of the frame, a seat carried by the intermediate section, a clamping plate bridging the horizontal bars, a bolt depending from the seat and engaging said clamping plate, foot rests forward ends of said bars, wheels journaled onsaid bolsters, a figure carried by the frame and comprising end and intermediate sections, the lower portions of the end sections being pivotally mounted between the parallel bars of the frame, spaced connecting bars disposed on opposite sides of said section and having a rigid connection with the intermediate section and a pivotal connection with the end sections, a seat carried by,

the intermediate section,: the rear ends of the frame bars being formed with transverse grooves constituting seats, an anchoring plate fitted in said seats, and a coiled spring having one end thereof bearing against the anchoring, plate and its other end bearing against the. adjacent pivoted section for normally holdingall of said sections in extended position.

4. A device of the class described comprising a,

frame including spaced longitudinally disposed parallel bars, a rear bolster rigidly secured to the adjacent ends of said bars, apivoted front bolster, coacting plates secured to the front end of said bars and front bolster respectively, a yoke having one end.thereof extended beneaththe front bolster and its other end fitted between the parallel bars, a pivot pin extending through the yoke and said plates, foot rests mounted on the front bolster, wheels carried by said bolsters, a figure mounted on the frame and comprising end and intermediate sections, thealower portions of the end sections being pivotally mounted on the frame, connecting bars rigidly secured to the intermediate section and pivotally connected with the end sections for rearward movement in parallel relation to the longitudinal barsof the frame, a seat carried by the intermediate section, a spring mounted on the frame and bearing against the adjacent end section for normally holding said sections in extended position, and handle bars projecting from the other end section for moving all of the sections rearwarclly against the tension of the spring.

JOSEPHA. DANN. 

